(414) THE MORE THINGS CHANGE . . .

In 1852, Carl Schure immigrated to the United States from Germany. He wanted to be a citizen of the United States, and he also wanted to see if he could get the United States to support German rebels who were fighting against the established government. He went to Washington. He described it as a dismal place with a lot of bureaucrats wandering about. He noticed that the primary focus was to divest the Vietnamese interest in Cuba. Woops! Did I say Vietnamese? Actually, I meant to say Spain’s interest in Cuba. He also noted that many bureaucrats tacitly supported the war in Afghanistan. Woops! Did I say Afghanistan? I meant to say South America. Why does the USA constantly get involved in foreign adventures that have no benefit to the United States?

*****

Casey Anthony was released from prison. Since she was acquitted, there have been waves of people protesting the fact that she was found not-guilty. According to the morning paper, someone had traveled a great distance to yell, “You suck!” as she was leaving the prison. What on God’s Earth did this person get out of yelling, “You suck!”? In my legal career, I have represented a few people who were wrongly convicted. I have gotten in the cases after the lawyer before had botched the case. I have been lucky enough to get new trials and win the cases upon retrial. My experience is unusual. For the most part, people who have been convicted, even if they are innocent, will spend decades in jail. Have you watched a true-crime show on television? If you have, you have noticed that DNA has cleared a few people who spent decades in confinement. When they were released, did you ever see any mass protests, or were there any death threats made against the authorities who were responsible for the wrongful conviction? Of course not! We live in society that is in love with prisons. Not just this country, but the world at-large.

Respectfully submitted,
Donald M. Heavrin,
A confused Citizen